6 Best adidas Basketball Shoes in 2026

How we test adidas basketball shoes

One of our pet peeves here at RunRepeat is an ill-defined and unelaborated review, not to mention a biased one. Naturally, we deliver the opposite. So here are the things we do in fulfilling a jam-packed, honest review:

• We pay for shoes with our own cash. 
• We subject each adidas shoe to on-court action both indoors and outdoors. 
• We perform various lab tests, from cutting each shoe in half and looking at its upper under the microscope to sticking a durometer into the foam. In the end, we deliver 20+ data points that are comparable across the whole basketball shoe category.

Choosing the best adidas basketball shoes for you

Disclaimer: In this guide, we are looking at the game-ready basketball shoes from adidas. If you are in search of the brand’s revered off-court kicks like the adidas Forum, head on to our catalog of adidas lifestyle sneakers.

Comparing adidas’ basketball shoe lineup to that of Nike, it is clear that the Three Stripes has notably fewer silhouettes. The brand doesn’t have as many signature shoes with basketball MVPs either.

But as our lab tests have shown, this gap in quantity has nothing to do with quality! Both premium and budget hoop shoes from adidas have shown very strong performance, especially in the past year.

We also found that the Three Stripes’ shoes tend to be highly versatile as they are equally grippy, cushioned, and supportive. And yet, there are differences that can make one adidas shoe a better choice for you above all others.

So let’s take a closer side-by-side look at all adidas shoes based on different features: ankle support, cushioning, weight, and durability.

Traction in adidas hoop shoes

Having tested a wide range of adidas basketball shoes in our lab, we can confirm that the brand delivers reliable outsole traction in all of its models, no matter the price.

We follow the industry's acclaimed SATRA TM144 method to retrieve objective and science-backed measurements of each shoe's outsole grip. We also perform our tests on a professional court flooring (FIBA Level 1) to mimic real-life conditions as much as possible.

Our machine recreates a stopping motion in the forefoot and records the shoe's friction coefficient at that point. The higher the score, the stronger the grip.

Ankle support in adidas shoes

It is important to specify that no basketball shoe can prevent ankle injuries, especially if you step on another player’s foot (which is the primary cause of 70% of ankle sprains). Research also shows that the shoe’s collar height has nothing to do with better support or ankle protection.

But how do we know which adidas shoe has good ankle support? Here is what we look for:

• wide, stable, and grounded midsoles
• solid lateral containment and heel lockdown

Nearly all adidas hoop shoes we’ve tested check these boxes, but they use different approaches to achieve this:

Signature EVA sidewalls of the Harden shoes

Stiff midfoot shanks of the D.O.N Issue shoes

In our lab, we manually assess the torsional rigidity and heel counter stiffness of each adidas shoe. The more resistance we feel in the shoe, the higher is the stiffness score on a 1-5 scale.

We also use a caliper to measure the widest part of each shoe’s midsole in both the heel and the forefoot. It turns out that most adidas hoop shoes have an above-average midsole width and some models even exceed the average by 10-15 mm!

In the table below, we showcase the most supportive hoop shoes from Three Stripes.

Choosing an adidas shoe from this bunch will help you minimize awkward foot twists and ankle rolls when:

• making sharp cuts and pivots
• shuffling side-to-side in front of the opponent
• dribblling and changing direction abruptly to avoid a defender
• landing from rebounds, jump shots, layups, and blocks

Cushioning in adidas basketball shoes

adidas tends to use full-length pieces of foam in its basketball shoe midsoles, offering a pretty consistent and stable experience underfoot.

Our lab tests revealed that The Three Stripes tends to provide moderate cushioning, balancing impact protection and court feel. None of the brand's current hoop shoes are exceptionally max-cushioned like some Nike or New Balance offerings. As the table below shows, most adidas models fall into the moderate shock absorption range of 75-85 SA in the forefoot.

There are no extremes in the energy return of adidas basketball shoes either, as these shoes tend to be more grounded than explosive. Unlike Nike shoes, where large Zoom Air units are often added in the forefoot to generate propulsive take-offs, adidas kicks rely on the good old shanks to add springiness to the ride.

You can still expect a sufficiently bouncy experience when launching for a layup or a jump shot (especially in shoes that pack a variation of Boost or Lightstrike foam), but nothing mind-blowingly propelling.

For reference, 55-65% is the medium energy return range for basketball shoes in general.

Outdoor basketball shoes from adidas

If you primarily hoop on the blacktop, you are better off investing in a durable outdoor-ready adidas basketball shoe.

But we must warn you that the brand’s choice is not very abundant here.

We perform several tests to determine whether a shoe can tackle concrete:

• measuring its rubber hardness (with a Shore C durometer)
• measuring its outsole thickness (with a caliper)
• drilling it with sandpaper at 10K RPM Dremel speed
• checking its tread pattern

A solid streetball shoe will have a hard and thick rubber outsole that doesn’t wear out easily. It will also have thicker and more recessed tread lines which have better abrasion resistance.

At the moment, we can’t recommend any adidas basketball shoes for outdoor use. Please see our guide on the best outdoor basketball shoes to explore options from other brands.

Are there any lightweight adidas hoop shoes?

Having lab-tested and weighed dozens of basketball shoes, we can confirm that adidas shoes tend to be on the heavy side.

With the average basketball shoe weight hovering around 13.8 oz (390g), The Three Stripes’ shoes range from 13.8 oz (390g) to 15.9 oz (450g) in a men’s US size 9.

The table below shows the lightest adidas shoes first:

Signature adidas basketball shoes

adidas’ roster includes signature shoes with prominent NBA stars like James Harden, Damian lillard, Donovan Mitchell, and Trae Young.

In the past, the brand also had a noteworthy line of Derrick Rose shoes (before his retirement) and is currently onto something with a thriving release of Anthony Edwards’ new signature line.